End of the Line
by Kiraeon
Summary: It had taken her years to get to this point; now only one more battle stood between her and the road leading back home to New Bark Town. Rated to be on the safe side for future chapters.


_ This has been something caught in my head for a little while, and that I'd started writing before 'Uninvited' and 'Crazy'. I recently refound this document and decided to edit/revise it a bit and post it up. Next chapter will come out... whenever I can manage to figure out exactly which of the two or three routes it could take. Sorry for the long pause between updates on my other fics, writing and real life have not come easily to me the last few months. _

A familiar hum sank its way into the young woman's bones as she watched the floors pass by, ticking higher and higher in red the further up into the air she rose. Her palms were damp, clammy with nervous sweat as her heart beat a nervous tattoo in the back of her throat. After seven long, trial filled years of hard work, of training tirelessly all around the Kanto and Johto regions and getting into one chaotic mess after another, of one encounter after another with that jerk who clearly had a good heart, but one nasty attitude to hide it with... she had finally made it to the very top.

Four battles beneath her, each more strenuous and exhausting than the last in mind, body and spirit... and she'd triumphed. Her team, her beloved friends and family, had succeeded where so many had fallen and now there was one more stage left to go. Her final match, her final opponent before she'd be able to claim the title of the world's most powerful Trainer and her journey would be over. Reaching into her pocket, the sixteen year old flipped open her Pokegear and smiled shakily down at the picture of her nine year old self posing with her mother and her barely six year old sister.

Two years ago, New Bark Town had been devastated by one of the worst storms in fifty years and she'd lost her mother to, of everything that seemed absurd, a fallen tree. Professor Elm had called her to give her the bad news, and to have her come home for the funeral. Three others had died, including Ethan's little sister, from the damage caused by fallen trees and powerlines. Everyone had lost someone or something dear to them in the disaster and had picked up the pieces as best they possibly could from there.

_Lyra, I hope you're okay holding down the fort at home. I promise, I'll be home soon and it'll be your turn._ She thought to herself, blinking back tears as she pressed a button on her Pokedex, showing a picture of herself, Lyra and her mother dressing up for... something silly, she didn't even remember anymore. Kris sighed, closing the lid and leaning against the cold elevator wall, her dark hair falling in front of her face as she stared at her feet.

After laying her mother to rest, she'd practically begged Lyra to stay home and take care of things so she could fulfill her dream and make their mother proud. Kris had forced her little sister to put her dreams on hold so _she_ wouldn't have to deal with the funeral- and so that she wouldn't have to worry about 'not making it in time' if something were to happen to her as well.

She made a face at her selfishness. "Some big sister I turned out to be," The navy haired girl muttered under her breath. "I owe her big time, maybe I'll get her a new Aprijuice blender on my way home." And promise to attend every freaking meet her little sister attended, and help her train, and cook her food and make sure the laundry was done and... suffice to say, her little sister was getting spoiled rotten to try and make up for her absence.

Lyra loved the Pokeathlon, and as an athletic girl in her own right, there wasn't really much guessing in what the now thirteen year old was looking forward to once her sister came back home.

The elevator's slow, shuddering stop pulled Kris out of her moody thoughts, the red symbol on the display stating she was on the final floor- the rooftop- glowing brightly before fading. Her mouth suddenly went cotton dry and she could feel the color drain out of her face. "This is it." She whispered, awestruck as she suddenly shivered looking at herself as best she could in the dark, reflective stone.

"Oh geez, I didn't even fix my hair or _anything_!" The sixteen year old wailed in panic, fussing as much as she could with the thick navy locks that almost always refused to behave the way they should have. Before she'd tamed her hair into behaving at least a little, the elevator doors opened with a whoosh of air.

It was time to go.

Her hand reached up around the ball hanging against her chest, fingers closing around it as she swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and nodded to the pale, distorted reflection of herself. "Here goes nothing. Mom, this one's for you and Lyra. Watch over me, 'kay?" She murmured quietly and pressed the button on the elevator. White light blinded her as the doors slowly opened, a rush of wild wind and sound assaulting her alongside thunderous applause as she stepped out of the elevator and began to make the long walk to the battleground. With each step, the nervousness, the excitement rose to an entirely new level and she found herself with a grin on her face.

This was it, she was actually about to battle Lance- _the_ Lance of the Elite Four- the Champion!

The moment her foot settled on the first step leading up, Lance's proud, towering form standing there with that signature cape of his blasting into the wind like some sort of superhero, she felt something in her stomach slowly ice over. Nerves, she told herself, ignoring the feeling that something wasn't right, that there was something... wrong about being there.

"Welcome to the Elite Four," His voice was just as powerful and welcoming as she remembered it from the Lake of Rage. The kind of voice that easily commanded people and Pokemon alike to do what he needed them to without any questions asked. "I have been waiting for you, Kris." One hand reached out, offering to shake her own to signal the beginning of what had to be the most important battle of her life... and perhaps one of the most important of his own.

She reached out slowly, tentatively allowing her smaller hand- why did she feel like she was eleven years old again?- to be swallowed up by his own, surprised at the strength and gentleness of the handshake. Looking up to see what she could read off the more experienced Trainer's face, she saw nothing but an excited, anticipation filled gleam in his russet eyes that couldn't be mistaken for nervousness in the slightest. "It's... It's an honor to be here, s-sir." Kris managed to stammer out, immediately wanting to kick herself for the formality and the stutter that only came on when she really, really nervous or excited.

He laughed, a powerful sound that made her jump slightly and smile in embarrassment because of it as he released her hand. "It always is, and I, Lance, the Champion of the Elite Four, am honored to meet the trainer who has come so far in her journey to stand before me!" His arm swept out, adding an especially dramatic flare to his cape as he bowed to her. "Now then, I believe the time for words has long since passed between you and I,"

_**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**_

_"Just remember one thing when you go against Lance," Clair had muttered sourly, looking extremely displeased that she was even imparting advice to a fourteen year old girl. "He's overdramatic, full of himself and thinks he's the smoothest thing to grace Johto and Kanto alike; but that doesn't mean his skills in battle are anything to doubt." Her eyes, a turbulent, piercing aqua, landed on the sky blue ones wide in surprise staring up at her. "Don't let the idiot fool you into letting your guard down; he's not the Champion for nothing, and don't you dare lose to him before I have a chance to beat you myself!"_

_**/\/\/\/\/\/\**_

"-us begin!" He finished, turning his back on her to take his place on the opposing side of the battlefield.

Hurrying to her own side of the arena, Kris stood, trying not to stumble as the podium lifted her high into the air, the sun, the wind and the sounds of the crowd swirling all around her as she placed her pokeballs into the requested slots and waited for the information to register. Looking about as small as she felt, the referee stood in the center of the arena with two flags, the shrill sound of a whistle being blown reaching even her position in the air as he shouted, voice amplified by the speakers connected to his microphone as he listed off a six on six battle, the last trainer standing winning the title of Champion and how he wanted a good, fair fight.

_Is this really happening?_ Kris wondered, feeling like she'd suddenly separated from her own body and was standing beside it as she watched the referee leave the stage. With a sound that she felt in her very bones, the ground rumbled; shifting and turning itself into a land and water combination stage with several rocky cliffs jutting out from the chilly looking depths. Patches of island-like rocks and ground were around the arena itself to provide something for the less flight and swimming inclined types to cling to and move on.

No time to think about stupid philosophical stuff, she was the challenger, and thus the first to send out her partner. _ But who to choose?_ She studied her team carefully, finally choosing a button and pressing down to release the Pokemon held inside on to the battlefield. The microphone was there for her to speak, for her to call encouragement down to her partner- something she was grateful for, as she didn't think all of them had fantastic hearing and might even be a little scared.

"C'mon out, Luna!" She cried out into the microphone, hearing an echo of her own command half a second later as the light disappeared, revealing an impossibly small, yellow mouse-like creature whose ears twitched and wide eyes looked around as if confused. She could hear Lance laugh in response, amused as he sent out Gyarados, her poor Pikachu with her heart shaped tail- totally a bonus in the cute department, might she add- lowered her ears and tail, shrinking away as her short fur stood on end at the intimidating glare given by the mighty Water type.

"Don't let it scare you, let's go with a Thunderbolt!"


End file.
